Where and when to find cheap eats and drinks in Sacramento.

March 03, 2015

During his 6.5 year tenure as the Sac Bee's restaurant critic, Blair Anthony Robertson left his mark on the Sacramento dining scene. (Cowtown Eats reported first last night that Robertson was no longer the Sac Bee's restaurant critic.)

Readers seemed to either love him or hate him, but either way, he had people talking on Monday morning. These are five reviews that stood out, either for the effect they had on the dining scene, or for the reaction they provoked.

2. Lucca

In a review that sparked a rebuke from his another former Sac Bee reporter Rick Kushman, Robertson, some say, unfairly ridiculed a waiter for speaking in a voice that reminded him of a "Sesame Street" character. Fellow Sac Bee reporter Chris Macias was quick to point out that Kushman is "good friends" with Lucca's Owner.

3. Orphan

In 2009, the Robertson eviscerated popular East Sac brunch spot Orphan, saying that, "Orphan badly needs to adopt the idea of flavor - I thought I once read about an affliction affecting, say, 0.00012 percent of the population whose taste buds are so hypersensitive to flavors that they cannot handle anything, food-wise, more exciting than waxed paper or Wolf Blitzer. I found the restaurant that will appeal to this woebegone niche." After that review, Orphan owner Chris Pendarvis told Robertson that, "If I find out you are in my restaurant, I am going to have you thrown out."

March 02, 2015

Blair Anthony Robertson is no longer the Sac Bee's restaurant critic but remains with the newspaper as a food/beer writer, his editor confirmed to Cowtown Eats on Monday evening.

Excerpted from an e-mail to Cowtown Eats from Sac Bee features editor Tim Swanson (who edits their food coverage):

We're in the process of making some changes in coverage/topic areas at The Bee -- not just in features, but across the publication. Blair is still writing about food and beer (among other things), but is no longer reviewing restaurants. We're currently assessing our approach, but remain committed to producing quality food criticism.

I contacted Swanson on Sunday evening after the two last Sunday editions didn't include a restaurant review despite the fact that Robertson appeared to be actively reporting on current food events and not on vacation. In addition, on or before Feb. 18, Robertson changed his twitter bio and removed references to being the Bee's restaurant critic.

I wrote at the time that I hoped a Selland's Market Cafe would fill that spot. It's not exactly that, but the Selland Family describes OBO' Italian as a "a casual, food-centric dining experience and feature a full bar and patio dining, as well as take out and catering." I actually asked Randall Selland years ago about whether he would consider adding a Market Cafe location in the old Good Eats spot, but he said there was concern that it could cannabalize the business of their popular East Sac location.

Chef Kelly McCown, former chef at Ella who spent the last three years with former L Wine Lounge owner at Goose & Gander in St. Helena, has also returned to the Selland Family fold. His first project will be to "help" Selland Family Corporate Executive Chef Ravin Patel open OBO' Italian.

OBO' Italian is expected to open in late 2015, and will be located at 3145 Folsom Blvd.

* Picture taken May 25, 2014.

More News:

South (Southern Restaurant) – Tradition Reinvented- Meet N’Gina. She and her husband are the proud owners of the new midtown restaurant, South (weheartfriedchicken.com). I had the pleasure of sitting down with her and getting to know her as well as what her restaurant has to offer. Kelli Gould in Girls on the Grid.

Asian N Cajun: Awesome sauce- We’re not sure if this is the best example of the Asian-Cajun genre in Sacramento, but it’s a good start. While it’s a great spot for some salty, fried comfort food, it doesn’t quite have the range of flavors that several of the other spots in South Sacramento do (Firehouse and Crab City in particular seem to be doing more fun, inventive stuff). Still, after a few squirts of lemon, the sauce at Asian N Cajun is pretty awesome. Jonathan Mendick in Sac News & Review.

Five new places to get a drink in the Sacramento region- If you want to reward yourself after a busy week, visit one of the many hot spots that recently opened in the Sacramento region. Here's a handy guide to some of the area's additions. Featuring Pre-Flite Lounge, Track 7 Natomas, Cask & Barrel, Dragas Brewing and Pure Life Juice Co. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Chili's closes Eureka Road location in Roseville- Chili's Grill & Bar has permanently closed one of its restaurants in Roseville. The location at 1516 Eureka Road closed in late January due to a lease expiration, according to a spokeswoman for restaurant operator Brinker International Inc. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Pre-Flite 2.0 quietly opens downtown- But Pre-Flite lives on, and the second iteration held its soft opening Wednesday at 1011 10th Street, a basement spot that was once an old bank vault. Find the entrance in the graffitied Jazz Alley between J and K Streets—there’s no sign to help you. Owner Jason Yee brought over a bunch of artifacts from the old Pre-Flite, including the stewardess mannekin, odd lamp affixed with origami cranes, posters, signs and, best of all, the former entrance doors. You know, the one that states happy hour is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and everything costs 65 cents? Janelle Bitker in Sac News & Review.

February 26, 2015

Sac Beer Week is here, featuring dozens of events at popular local restaurants and craft breweries. (Check out the entire calendar at SacBeerWeek.com.)I'll admit that while I enjoy craft beer, I'm not an aficionado. So instead of half-assing a preview, here's what the experts have to say:

8 Sacramento Beer Week events worth tapping- Sacramento Beer Week, which kicks off Feb. 26 with the Brewers Showcase and ends with the Capitol Beer Fest on March 8, is bigger, more diverse and, yes, more daunting than ever. We’re here to help. While it’s impossible to attend all of the hundreds of events at the dozens of participating breweries, pubs and restaurants, there is a way to make things manageable. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

50 people who make the Sacramento craft-beer scene awesome- It starts with the brewer. Or does it? Maybe it starts with the person delivering the malt and hops? Whatever. There’s also the servers, distributors, lobbyists, bar owners, writers, buyers and judges. Coming up with a list of 50 people who matter in the Sacramento beer scene is probably a bad idea: There are just too many faces out there. Easily 150, or more. And, of course, if someone’s left off this list, it’s a bummer. But that doesn’t mean anything (and they’ll probably be on the list next year, so there you go). This year’s beer issue is about celebrating the people who make local brew exciting, inspiring. Thanks for getting us all a little buzzed—and more! By Janelle Bitker, Alastair Bland, Becky Grunewald and Nick Miller in Sac News & Review.

Craft beer is changing the game at Sacramento restaurants and markets- As Sacramento sprints into its sixth annual Beer Week, craft beer has exploded across the beverage scene in America, and at an even brighter intensity in California and Sacramento. Craft beer is as Big Bang hot as any alcoholic beverage in decades. But craft beer is something else, too. It’s genuinely interesting and, you know, good. Craft beers come in a vast range of styles now, and so many pack in enough nuance and depth that people can spend hours dissecting flavors and textures and brewing techniques the way they might with beer’s friend and rival, wine. Rick Kushman in Sac News & Review.

11 Sacramento Area Bars where Beer Rules All- If there is one thing that’s for sure about Sacramento, it’s that we love our beer! The last few years have been an exciting time for regional hop-heads. New breweries and taprooms are opening left and right, it’s becoming the norm for restaurants and bars to up their beer list game, and our palate as a whole is growing with the rising popularity of sours, farmhouse ales and other interesting/experimental brews. Another thing that’s for sure is there is no lack of great bars to enjoy craft beer in the Sacramento region. Throw a rock in any direction and you’re bound to hit a spot with a killer beer list. Alia Cruz and Blake Gillespie in Submerge Mag.